Monday, October 17, 2011

RE: New England Primer

The New England Primer very accurately portrays the most important Puritan beliefs in their own eyes. These beliefs were strongly fundamentalist, stressing piety, resistance to change, and hatred of atheism. This belief system is structured in such a way that it renders its victims quite stubborn to any alternative opinions. The closed minded piety and arrogant view of themselves made Puritanical society an unfit vehicle for any sort of human progress, be it academic, political, industrial, etc.
Despite its problematic nature, the ideas and beliefs contained within the New England Primer can be seen today in many parts of the USA. Many members of the House and the Senate remain staunchly creationist. In fact, possible Republican presidential candidate Rick Perry is one of these members of legislature who rejects the universally accepted model of evolution. The fact that someone holding this Puritanical view despite factual evidence could possibly be leading the country in 2012 shows how deeply ingrained this Puritanical belief system still is in American society.